Collapsible plastic tubes



Oct. 12, 1965 DE WAYNE. MlLEs 3,211,342

COLLAPSIBLE PLASTIC TUBE S Filed Oct. 9, 1963 INVENTOR GILBERT De WAYNE MILES wwwm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,211,342 COLLAPSIBLE PLASTIC TUBES Gilbert De Wayne Miles, Ossining, N.Y. Colgate- Palmolive Co., 300 Park Ave., New York, N.Y.) Filed Oct. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 314,969 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-107) This invention relates to flexible collapsible plastic tubes of the type used to contain and dispense toothpaste, jelly, creams, condiments and any similar fluid pasty substance and is particularly concerned with arrangements for facilitating dispensing by control of flexure of the tube wall.

The use of thin walled non-metallic collapsible tubes of a flexible and somewhat elastic material such as a cellulose derivative, notably cellulose nitrate and organic acids and esters of cellulose, has increased considerably because the tubes themselves are attractive in appearance and readily ornamented and these materials are relatively inert with respect to substantially all contemplated contents besides being relatively inexpensive to make. Tubes of these materials and equivalent non-metallic materials will be referred to hereinafter as plastic tubes.

These plastic tubes are essentially cylinders of oval cross section closed at one end by a crimp and at the other end by a cap screwed onto a threaded nozzle. In use the cap is removed and the contents squeezed out through the nozzle. As the contents are used the tube is rolled upon itself from the crimped bottom end. One of the chief objections to these plastic tubes is that they have such inherent resiliency that they do not tend to retain a given shape, as did the lead and aluminum tubes of prior art, and they tend to spring out to resume original shape when squeezed and/or rolled up. This recovery action of the tube often draws in air so that subsequent attempts to dispense the contents may be accompanied by bubbles or uncontrollable spurts of the dispensed material.

It has been proposed to remedy the foregoing difficulty by incorporating into the tube walls special longitudinal strips and wires of metal or some other bendable stiflening material which will retain its shape when the tube wall is deformed or rolled up and thereby hold the tube in deformed condition. These structures have proved so expensive to fabricate that they are not commercially acceptable.

With the foregoing in view it is the major object of the invention to provide a collapsible thin walled flexible plastic tube having novel outer surface means for reliably retaining the tube in deformed and rolled-up condition.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel thin walled flexible collapsible plastic tube having on at least one external surface thereof adhesive in longitudinal strip or like form, such adhesive being preferably of the type which will adhere only to itself.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel thin walled flexible collapsible plastic tube having on at least one external surface a longitudinal area of non-tacky contact type adhesive which will stick only to itself with sufficient strength to hold the tube rolled on itself.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a generally perspective view of a collapsible dispensing tube of conventional shape incorporating a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section on line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing the adhesive areas on the tube walls; and

FIGURE 3 shows the tube of FIGURE 1 as it is held in partly rolled condition in the invention.

3,211,342 Patented Oct. 12, 1965 The invention comprises a collapsible plastic tube body 11 having quite thin elastic walls and made by dipping, moldmg or some other technique of a suitable material such as cellulose acetate. For example any of the materials disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,430,- 046 may be employed for the tube walls. The tube is permanently crimped shut at the bottom end at 12, and is formed at the other end with a dispensing nozzle closed by removable cap 13. This tube structure so far is more or less conventional.

This otherwise conventional structure incorporates the invention by providing longitudinal strips 14 of a nontacky contact type adhesive on opposite sides. As shown in FIGURE 2 these tubes are usually slightly oval which determines the direction and manner of rolling up the tube into the form shown in FIGURE 3. Strips 14 may be about one half inch to one inch in width and extend the length of the body 11. In any event the adhesive areas are sufiiciently large as to hold adequately when pressed into contact.

The adhesive of strips 14 is preferably of a rubber base type which does not feel soft or tacky to the touch of the user of the tube. The adhesive may be applied to the exterior of the formed tube, or to sheet material prior to forming the tube. In any event it must adhere firmly to the smooth surface of the tube when applied, it being applied usually in fluid form which when dry attaches permanently to the tube wall. When set at room temperature it feels dry and does not stick to the operators finger under pressure, but under pressure it sticks tightly to itself. The term contact adhesive as used herein means any substance that is non-tacky with respect to the users fingers or other things such as containers, but sticks firmly to itself under slight pressure.

Thus in the invention, as the tube is rolled up during use from bottom end 12, the contacting areas 14 stick tightly to each other to resist the resilient tendency of the tube to return to normal straight condition and hold the tube in rolled up condition as in FIGURE 3.

It will be seen that the contact adhesive areas 14 need not be continuous strips along the tube as illustrated but may be deposited on the opposite surfaces in a discontinuous predetermined pattern so arranged that as the tube is rolled the contact adhesive areas come into pressure contact.

The tube of the invention remains undeformed during normal handling and does not stick to its container or to the user.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible dispensing tube consisting essentially of a body of thin walled flexible non-metallic plastic permanently closed at one end and having a dispensing nozzle at the other end closed by a removable cap, the improvement comprising opposite external sides of said body provided with permanent non-tacky contact adhesive areas so distributed longitudinally that as the tube is rolled upon itself from said one end as the contents are dispensed certain areas will be pressed into adhesive contact with each other to thereby hold the tube in rolled condition.

3 4 2. In a collapsible dispensing tube consisting essen- 4. In the dispensing tube defined in claim 2, saidadtially of a body of thin walled flexible non-metallic plashesive being a rubber base type. tic permanently closed at one end and having a dispensing nozzle at the other end closed by a removable cap, the References Cited y the Examine! improvement comprising longitudinal areas of non-tacky 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS contact adhesive permanently attached to opposite sides of said body so disposed that as the tube is rolled upon 2646044 7/53 Dlack 222 107 X itself said areas contact under pressure to hold the tube FOREIGN PATENTS in rolled condition. 110,848 5/61 Pakistan.

3. In the dispensing tube defined in claim 2, said areas 10 being longitudinal strips of said adhesive. LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A COLLAPSIBLE DISPENSING TUBE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A BODY OF THIN WALLED FLEXIBLE NON-METALLIC PLASTIC PERMANENTLY CLOSED AT ONE END AND HAVING A DISPENSING NOZZLE AT THE OTHER END CLOSED BY A REMOVABLE CAP, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING OPPOSITE EXTERNAL SIDES OF SAID BODY PROVIDED WITH PERMANENT NON-TACKY CONTACT ADHESIVE AREAS SO DISTRIBUTED LONGITUDINALLY THAT AS THE TUBE IS ROLLED UPON ITSELF FROM SAID ONE END AS THE CONTENTS ARE DISPENSED CERTAIN AREAS WILL BE PRESSED INTO AD- 